


The Mission Will Always Be More Important

by RichardGraysonPercyJackson



Category: Batman - All Media Types, DCU (Comics)
Genre: Brotherly Affection, Brothers, Dick Grayson Needs a Hug, Dysfunctional Family, Family Issues, Implied/Referenced Character Death, Resurrected Jason Todd, Scarecrow's Fear Toxin (DCU), bruce is a shit father
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-10-18
Updated: 2019-10-18
Packaged: 2020-12-21 12:35:55
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,348
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21074999
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/RichardGraysonPercyJackson/pseuds/RichardGraysonPercyJackson
Summary: After a dose of fear toxin, Dick confronts Bruce and forces the man to face some things about himself and their family that no one knows or thinks about





	The Mission Will Always Be More Important

**Author's Note:**

> This just popped into my head so enjoy
> 
> : )

“Grayson?” Damian murmured when he found Dick staring off into space. Or, more accurately, staring blankly at Bruce’s back. “Are you alright?”

He expected Dick to say he was fine. Expected Dick to grin and ruffle his hair and drag him into a tight hug. But Dick only turned weary eyes to Damian, looking sadder than the young boy could ever recall seeing him.

“No,” Dick admitted softly, gaze trailing over to Jason and Tim who were bickering fondly as they came back from the shower. “No, I don’t think I am.”

“Hey, what’s up Dickhead?” Jason asked, walking over and punching Dick in the shoulder, leaning on Dick’s chair and frowning down at him. “You look like someone just kicked your puppy.”

“As... _ violent _ as that is,” Tim said slowly, side-eyeing Jason for a moment before looking back at Dick. “Jason has a point. Are you alright?”

Dick shook his head, letting out a soft breath but not replying before Bruce spoke,

“Dick, we need to talk.”

“Yes, Bruce, we do,” Dick said calmly, crossing one leg over the other. “We need to talk about us. As a family.”

“Oh, here we go again,” Jason muttered, placing a hand over his eyes and turning to head towards the stairs. “Wake me when he’s done.”

He didn’t get very far before Dick’s next words surprised him to a stop. “When are we going to be the priority?”

“Come again?” Tim asked, frowning.

“Dick, we don’t have time for this,” Bruce said calmly. “I need your help.”

“I know,” Dick said, refusing to move which surprised his brothers who had grown accustomed to Dick always leaping up at Bruce’s beck and call. So now, seeing Dick stay seated while Bruce was demanding his assistance was...different.

“Are you sick?” Jason asked, coming back over (mostly for the drama) and placing a hand on Dick’s forehead until the acrobat batted him away, finally getting to his feet and drawing to everyone’s attention that he was still in his suit.

“Ever since I became Robin,” he said slowly. “The mission has always been more important to you, Bruce. It has and  _ will _ always take priority over your own family.”

Bruce huffed, fully turning to face Dick. “Explain.”

Dick scoffed. “Explain?” he asked. “Are you serious, Bruce?”

“Grayson, perhaps this is a better discussion for another evening,” Damian suggested cautiously, reaching out to take hold of Dick’s wrist. “You’re exhausted.”

Dick was, especially since he’d been dosed with fear toxin that night. But he wasn’t going to bed yet, not until he made Bruce speak.

“You want me to explain, bruce? How the mission is more important?”

“Yes.”

“You were so deadset on finding out what Joker was planning,” Dick began. “So  _ focused _ on spending every waking moment looking for him that you never even  _ knew _ Jason had run off until it was too late!”

“Are you saying Jason’s death is my fault?”

“Damn right I am,” Dick snapped. “And another thing. Does Jason even know why I wasn’t at his funeral? Did you ever tell him or did you just let him get angry at me for yet another thing?”

Bruce said nothing and Dick turned to Jason, expression soft. “He never told me,” he said quietly. “He never told me you were dead and I only found out too weeks later by hacking into the computer.”

“Father, is this true?” Damian asked.

“I had other concerns.”

“Other concerns,” Dick repeated. “You mean the mission. Which once again proves my point that your goddamn mission is more important than  _ us _ .”

“Dick, that;s enough.”

“It’s because of your mission and your  _ insistance _ that none of us are good enough that Tim spends almost every moment of the day  _ working _ . He’s a  _ kid _ , Bruce. He should be thinking about school, not how he’s going to catch The Riddler.”

“He chooses to spend his time like that.”

“Because  _ you _ don’t do anything!” Dick shouted, rage growing. “Because you  _ let _ him!”

“Dick-”

“You wouldn’t even look at your own son!” the acrobat screamed. “You  _ saw  _ that Damian got better with Robin but because you didn’t train him, because he was raised differently, you didn’t find him  _ perfect!” _

“And you, Dick?”

Dick whipped his head in Jason’s direction. “What?”

“What about you?” Jason asked softly. “You mentioned how his mission affects all of us. How does it affect you?”

Dick swallowed thickly, anger fading slightly to give way to all consuming exhaustion as he looked back at Bruce.

“You thought the mission was important enough to let Lex Luthor kill me.”

Three voices declared their outrage with a unanimous cry of, “What!?”

“And don’t think I don’t know,” Dick said softly, sitting back down in the chair he’d vacated. “That the only reason you forced Luthor to bring me back was because you needed someone on the inside of Spyral.”

“I brought you back because you’re my son.”

“Don’t lie.” Dick’s voice was empty now. “I saw the camera footage.”

“Dick-”

“You, Bruce Wayne, are the  _ king _ of pre-planning and anticipating everything. You have files on your own kids on how to bring us down if we go rogue.”

Bruce shifted. “Yes?”

“And yet you didn’t have an extraction plan for me when I was in Spyral,” Dick whispered. “No one knew except for you. I was stranded and alone in enemy territory while you lost your memory and didn’t even know I was there.”

Bruce stepped forward. “Dick-”

He cut himself off when Jason stepped between him. “I think that’s enough for tonight, Bruce,” the second Robin said firmly before turning to face Dick. “Come on. Let’s go to bed.”

Dick nodded, letting his brothers guide him to his feet and up the stairs, tears pricking his eyes when Bruce did not call after them.

“Sir, I do believe we have a no-suits-in-the-manor rule-”

“Not tonight, Alfred, please,” Jason requested softly, one arm around Dick’s shoulders while Damian clung to Dick’s other hand and Tim trailed behind. “And do me a favor, please?”

“Certainly, sir.”

“Go kick Bruce’s ass.”

………………………

“You don’t have to stay,” Dick mumbled once he was dressed and showered and in bed, crushed between Tim and Damian while Jason reclined on a chair next to the bed.

“Yeah, well…” Jason shrugged. “You made some good points downstairs, Dick. Like it or not, the mission will always be more important than us.”

The room was quiet for a few moments until Tim spoke softly. “What...caused that? Downstairs, telling Bruce all that?”

Dick sighed. “Part of what I saw with the...fear toxin,” he replied. “Was...it was Bruce telling me that...that I wasn’t important. That I was a failure. That we all were. That all we did was get in the way and it just...got me thinking, is all.”

“That sucks,” Jason muttered, feet propped up on the bed and arms crossed over his chest, head tilted back. “I’ll egg his cars tomorrow for ya.”

That got a laugh out of Dick. “Alfred will make you regret that,” he reminded his brother.

Jason shrugged. “I’ll egg his office then.”

“Drake and I shall help.”

Tim rolled his eyes but didn’t disagree. Dick sighed quietly. “Thanks,” he said softly. “For...making me feel better.”

“No problem. Now shut up and go to sleep.”

…………………….

“Pardon me, sir,” Alfred said as he entered the cave. “Master Jason has sent me down to, in his words, kick your ass.”

Bruce hummed but didn’t bother to turn around, eyes glued on the computer screen. Alfred watched him for a few moments before clearing his throat and speaking,

“Frankly, sir, I believe Master Richard had a point. They are your children, Master Bruce, not your soldiers. They should not be treated as such.”

Without waiting for Bruce to reply, Alfred turned and left, heading back up to the manor and ducking into Dick’s room with a blanket that he draped over Jason.

With a smile at the boys, Alfred quietly crept back into the hall before heading to his own room to prepare for bed.

**Author's Note:**

> Thoughts?


End file.
